How should one behave in a corporate environment straight from an education institute? Some pointers for Graduates.

1. CORPORATE ETIQUETTE
- CHANCHAL CHANDIOK

2. WHAT IS ETIQUETTE?
“Etiquette means behaving yourself a little better than
is absolutely essential.”
– Will Cuppy
“Etiquette is the science of living. It embraces everything.
It is ethics. It is honor.”
– Emily Post

3. PRINCIPLES OF GOOD ETIQUETTE
Golden: Treat others as you would like to be treated
Platinum: Treat others as they would like to be treated

4. APPEARANCE
“The way you dress affects the way you are perceived, and the way you are perceived, is
the way you are treated.”
-Buck Rodgers
Former VP of Marketing, IBM
 Neatly trimmed hair
 Light perfume or cologne
 Clean and trimmed fingernails
 Limited jewelry
 Concealed tattoos; no visible body jewelry
 Ironed clothes
 Polished / clean shoes
 Belts on pants; socks that match shoe color

5. TYPES OF HANDSHAKES
Handshaking is commonly done upon greeting, meeting, parting, offering congratulations, or
completing an agreement. The purpose of a handshake is to convey trust, balance, and
equality.
Wet Fish - Wet fish handshake normally means a weak character, someone who
is easily persuaded by others.
Dead Fish - A limp handshake. Has no energy, there is no shake, no squeeze, not even a
pinch, and it gives the feeling you are holding a dead fish instead of a hand. Indicates low
self-esteem.
Hand Hug - The " hand hug " is popular with politicians, as it can
present them as being warm, friendly, trustworthy and honest.

6. TYPES OF HANDSHAKES
The Bone Crusher - Shows overly aggressive personality types.
Keep Back - Used by the aggressive types. The purpose of this one is to keep you at a
distance and away from their personal space as they might feel threatened.
The Dominator - Involves any use of a downward turned palm. This handshake
is more often than not an indication of superiority.
The Southpaw - Otherwise known as the “Lefty”, the “Southpaw” should be avoided at all
costs. To shake someone’s hand with your left hand is considered
uncouth and even an expression of disrespect in some countries.

7. TYPES OF HANDSHAKES
The Appropriate Handshake - Stand and extend your right hand
straight out in front of your body, with your elbow slightly bent,
and your thumb pointing to the ceiling. Lean forward slightly if
there is room, but not so much that your faces are uncomfortably close.
Keep eye contact; do not glance down at the hand offered as you shake. Keep a
pleasant expression; not stiff or overeager. Close your fingers around the other hand
with your thumb resting to the side. Grip with a slight firmness (like a gentle squeeze)
as you raise your hand slightly up and down for the “shake.”
Release the hand after 3-4 seconds.

8. SHARING CREDIT
Remember you’re part of a team.
“There is no ’I’ in team.”
Always acknowledge the contributions of others.
Never dismiss all responsibility for failures.
Don’t “pass the buck” when a project fails.
Only promise what you know you can deliver. Honour your deadlines.
In addition to acknowledging the efforts of your teammates, it’s especially important to
understand the work style and needs of your manager who, in essence, is your customer.

9. KNOWING YOUR CUSTOMER
What is his or her style of working?
What sort of update does he or she prefer?
What level of communication is necessary?

10. CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Deal directly with the person before going to your supervisor – always
attempt to deal with any problems with a colleague directly before
going to your manager.
Focus on the facts - It’s best to arrange a one-on-one meeting to discuss the situation. In
the meeting, focus on the facts of the situation: Pointing out that your coworker is an
underachiever or forgetful isn’t going to help you resolve the issue.
Be receptive to the other person’s story – Be receptive to hearing his or her side of the
story. You may find that what seemed like a major issue was simply
a misunderstanding.

11. CONFLICT RESOLUTION
DO:
 Make the first move
 Choose the right time
 Adopt a conciliatory stance
 Take corrective action
DON’T:
 Jump to conclusions
 Show frustration
 Point fingers
 Criticize
 Take it personally

12. CELL PHONE ETIQUETTE
Be aware of ring tones - A Jlo or Bryan Adams tune can make you seem unprofessional.
Know how to silence your phone - That doesn’t just mean turning it off when
in an important meeting; it also means knowing how to shut it off quickly
if it accidentally rings when it shouldn’t.
Keep a distance - When talking on your phone, make sure you’re at
least 10 feet away from others, so you can have your privacy and
they can have theirs.
Avoid using on conference calls – Because of possible reception problems, it may be hard for
you to hear others and for them to hear you. If you must use your cell phone, learn how to
mute the microphone so that ambient noise doesn’t interrupt the conversation.

13. MEETING ETIQUETTE
 Meeting Requests – Accept, Decline, Tentative, Propose new time
 Be on time for the meeting and be prepared for it.
 Meetings are important and have a time limit. You must be able to understand others
and get your view across in the allotted time.
 Make sure that you have understood everything that was said at the
meeting and that your impressions were correct. Summarize the
decisions taken and the action plan.
 Avoid nervous and distracting gestures.
 Listen attentively and take notes during discussions, but don't interrupt a person who is
speaking. It is important to show respect for the other person's point of view.
 As a part of the meeting, you should contribute ideas.
 Those who propose new ideas and actions must be prepared to implement them.

14. GENERAL DO’S AND DON’TS
 Do not pass client/employer information to your friends or others outside
the organization without prior permission.
 Hygiene is an important but personal issue, and it is assumed that you
are able to look after that.
 Do not misuse the e-mail facility or surf the net excessively.
 At meetings be punctual and prepared. Take down minutes.
 Keep your work station and work area clean. Put away excess paperwork
in drawers when leaving for the day.
 Shut off your computer when you leave for the day.
 Lock your screen when you are away from your desk.
 If you find yourself with some idle time, do not waste it – do some research or self-study
to enhance your knowledge.

15. THANK YOU